Kellan remained close, his sweet breath washing over me as his palms traced slowly up the sides of my stomach. “Yes, probably,” he whispered.
Neither of us moved.
I swallowed roughly against an internal pulse of need, which was so strong that if he’d let me go, I’d have sunk straight to the bottom of the pool. My limbs were unresponsive, mostly because my brain currently was too.
“Emme,” he said with a rasp. “Please don’t hate me for this.”
I had no idea what he was talking about until his lips pressed against mine in a collision of need and desire, the force too great for either of us to resist. Not that it even crossed my mind to try.
With a gasp I wrapped my arms behind his neck, legs winding around his waist to bring our bodies closer. My head spun as his caramel-cinnamon taste exploded across my tongue, and I was craving more.All. I craved everything from Kellan.
A guttural sound ripped from his throat, and I felt the energy of his wolf shift closer to the surface, bringing dominance to crash against me. His hands bit into my ass as he held me against him, the hard length of his cock between us, which I was already rocking into.
“The entire house smelled like you and Hunter before,” he groaned against my mouth. “Just about drove me fucking crazy. Especially when all I wanted was to feel you against me and know you were okay.” I leaned back, needing to see his expression, only to find his eyes blazing with dark, violet energy. “There are no words to explain how I felt when we heard that scuffle and I knew you were at the other end of the compound. Iwasn’t sure we’d get to you in time. I died a thousand deaths in those moments, Em.”
Needing this as much as him, I tilted my head to press my lips to his once more. Behind me, a door opened and footsteps sounded on the tiles. Kellan lifted his gaze in the direction of our intruder but didn’t react, and a few seconds later when I smelled lavender, I knew it was Florence.
“I brought you both snacks, and your usual pre-game drink, Alpha Kellan.”
Kellan shifted us around in the water so we could both see her drop a rather large tray on the table between the loungers. “I’m very happy to see you’re okay, Emme,” Florence added as she straightened. “Let me know if there’s anything I can get you.”
“Thanks, Flo. I’m doing just fine now, but appreciate your concern.”
She waved me off. “We all love you here. Of course we’d be concerned. You’re a part of the family.”
I was pulled closer to Kellan as he hugged me in a tight squeeze. “She’s not wrong,” he said, his voice filled with so much warmth that I was immediately overwhelmed.
Florence fussed over us for a few more seconds, before hurrying off to finish her mid-day duties, leaving Kellan and I to pick through the tray of fruit, sandwiches, and pastries. Before we finished up, Kellan drank his green concoction that smelled like sadness and lawn clippings, while I ate the two chocolate eclairs, because we all had our roles to play here.
“I’m going to grab my gear now,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips, sending butterflies through my stomach. “Meet you here in fifteen?”
“Yes.Yep. I’ll just have a quick shower and change into fresh clothes.”
Kellan’s eyes twinkled at my clearly flustered appearance. “I’ve got the perfect shirt for you to wear today, Shortcake. I’ll leave it on your bed.”
He remained by my side as we walked up the stairs, dripping pool water over the immaculate floors. When he left me in my room, I headed straight for the shower, needing to wash and dry my hair in minimal time. Rushing through it all, I finished up by slapping on some makeup, happy to see I was less pale than this morning.
It bothered me to notice that most of Hunter’s marks had faded from my skin. The visual of them felt like belonging, but alas, nothing was permanent on shifter skin except a mating bite. Oh, and the lovely ropey scar my mom left me with.
In my room, a teal, gold and white jersey sat waiting on the bed, and I slipped it on with my jeans and sneakers. It had the number twenty-two on the back andJacksonabove it. Of course, Kellan wanted me in his jersey, his name claiming me as thoroughly as Hunter’s collar tattoo.
Every part of me should be horrified by these alphas and how they’d wormed their way into my life and emotions, but as caramel and cinnamon scent surrounded me, all I felt was satisfaction.
My fucking wolf wanted to purr her pleasure, and it was only my annoyance keeping it at bay.It’s not forever.
It couldn’t be.
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
On the inside, the hockey stadium was massive. Not that it didn’t look like it from the outside, but it was even bigger than I expected. Bigger and absolutely packed. We’d driven here in Hunter’s Range Rover, with a bouncy Kellan in the backseat, adrenaline for his upcoming game rocketing through him.
“Share some of your energy,” I joked at one point when he rocked the car as we stopped at lights.
He’d leaned over the center console. “Wish I could, Emme. My parents would have certainly loved it, since I’ve always been this way. Far too much energy to contain.”
Hunter had insisted I take the passenger seat, but I’d practically shared it with Kellan as he hung over me the whole drive anyway.
